Protected Hearts Read online

  “I’m not stuck with her. She is the one and only woman I want in my life,” said Wes.

  “Fine. I can see you are determined to stick with your story. You could at least sit down and share a muffin with me to celebrate your mating.” A smile slowly spread across her face.

  “I’m sorry but I’m not hungry and I have a lot of work to do.” Something was up with the muffins. His bear pushed closer to the surface as Wes sniffed the air. He didn’t smell anything out of the ordinary but then the sweet smell of the honey overpowered all other scents. There was no way he was going to eat even one bite. “I think it’s time for you to leave.”

  April snorted. “Fine.” She walked over to Ivy’s desk and set the basket on it. “I’ll just leave these here for you so you can have a snack later. Think of me when you eat them.” She winked at him and then walked out of the building.

  Wes shook his head. There was no way he was eating anything that woman touched. He didn’t even want to pick up the basket to throw it away.

  The shop door opened. “Sorry I’m late,” said Ivy as she walked in. “Did I miss anything?” She stopped and stared at the basket on her desk. “Hockey sticks and horse feathers! I guess I did miss something. Where did that come from?”

  “Emma’s cousin, April, dropped it off. It’s filled with honey muffins she supposedly baked.”

  Ivy looked at Wes. “Did you eat one or touch the basket?”

  He shook his head. “No. I was going to dump the into the trash. I don’t trust Emma’s cousin. I’m leery about even touching the basket. Something’s not right.”

  “April Martin brought this?” asked Ivy.

  Wes nodded.

  “Double fudge sticks!” Ivy closed her eyes and softly chanted some words.

  Wes watched the basket slide across the desk and drop into the trashcan.

  “I’m glad you didn’t mess with any of it. That thing reeks of a very nasty love potion.” Anger filled Ivy’s voice.

  “A love potion?” Wes frowned. “I didn’t smell anything except honey.”

  “It was designed to smell like something you would love to entice you to eat it. In this case, she gambled that it would be honey. It’s a rather nasty piece of dark magic because it reacts differently with each person it is used on and sometimes it’s deadly and not just for the recipient.” Emma looked at Wes’s wrist and smiled. “Congratulations on finding your heart’s mate. I’m happy for you and Emma.”

  “Thanks.” Wes saw her look at the scrolls and quills encircling his wrist. She and Ben had matching ivy wrapping around their wrists. “What would the potion have done?”

  “If it’s exactly what I think it is, it would cause you to fall madly in love with the person who cast the spell and it would cause you to harm your true mate…even kill her. But sometimes the person would go completely insane, and he or she could go on a killing spree.”

  Wes growled. His bear shoved against him. It wanted to hunt down April and destroy her.

  “What’s going on?” asked Ivy. “I’m guessing it’s more than just the problem with April.”

  “Have you heard of Orson Goodwin?” asked Wes.

  Ivy frowned. “He was part of Bradford and Delphine’s circle of cohorts. He’s the last living heir of his family which used to be one of the wealthiest and oldest of the witch families. From what I remember my grandmother saying, Orson’s grandfather lost it all through some bad business deals and gambling. When he died there was a lot of talk that his daughter had something to do with his death because of an insurance policy.”

  “What about Orson?” asked Wes. “Why would he be determined to have Emma as his mistress?”

  “His mistress? You’re joking.”

  “I wish I was,” said Wes.

  “You’re serious.” Ivy’s eyes widened.

  “In fact he was telling Emma she belonged to him when I walked into the bookstore at lunch. And the worst part was that he had grabbed her arm and halfway jerked her across the counter.”

  “Banana fudge! I hope you ripped off his arm and beat him over his head with it,” said Ivy.

  “I thought about it, but at that moment Emma was more important,” admitted Wes.

  Ivy smiled. “As it should be, but I have a feeling you’re going to have to beat him over his head sooner or later. And when you do it, you’re going to need to be very careful.”

  “Why?”

  “Orson Goodwin appears to be a respectful businessman but…” Her voice trailed off.

  “But what?” Wes frowned. His guts felt like someone had just punched him.

  “I have no proof but I’ve heard that Orson is half dark warlock.”

  Wes shook his head. “You lost me at dark warlock.”

  Ivy drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. “You know that there are good witches and bad witches. Right?”

  He nodded.

  “Warlocks make bad witches look good. And dark warlocks make bad witches look like cute little cherubs.” Ivy bit her bottom lip as she crossed her arms over her chest.

  Wes’s bear growled and Wes felt his stomach roll over. “What are you not saying?”

  “Warlocks are known for stealing powers from witches.” Ivy swallowed. “Fudge sticks!” She looked at Wes. “They drain the witches of their souls, leaving nothing but an empty shell. Families who were desperate for power, wealth, or whatever would sell their daughters to warlocks knowing their daughters would never survive. The warlocks would use them as mistresses until they grew tired of the women. Then the warlocks drained the women of their powers and souls. The worst part was that most of the women were or would have been powerful witches, but their powers had been bound by their parents when they were still small children or babies.”

  Wes stared at Ivy. “Emma’s in danger.” He turned and ran out of the building.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Emma pulled on the back door making sure it was locked. This was the first time she had ever closed the store early. She thought it wouldn’t be a big deal but she kept catching herself checking and re-checking everything she did even though it was part of her normal closing routine that she had done hundreds of times over the past couple of years.

  Dropping the store keys into her purse she walked across the narrow lot to her car. On the way home she planned to stop at the grocery store to pick up a couple pounds of ground beef for the meatloaf she was making for supper. After the grocery store Emma wanted to go to the bakery for rolls and either a cherry pie or an apple pie. She already had everything else she needed for supper.

  She smiled.

  While the meatloaf was cooking, she was going to start packing her clothes into her suitcase and then put everything else into the boxes she had stashed in the trunk of her car earlier. By the time Wes arrived at her duplex, Emma figured she would have almost everything packed and ready to go. Just another advantage of renting a fully furnished place. Tonight she would be sleeping in his arms in her new home.

  Emma pressed the unlock button on her key fob. The door locks clicked. As she opened the door, the air around her suddenly chilled. Emma shivered even though she was wearing a thick sweater and the afternoon sun had caused an unusual warming trend.

  A hand suddenly covered her mouth while another hand grabbed her shoulder in a vise-like grip.

  Emma tried to scream but the large hand over her mouth made it difficult to even breath.

  “I told you that you belonged to me.” Orson’s voice sent ice water through Emma’s veins.

  She raised her right arm and rammed her elbow as hard as she could into her attacker. Emma was rewarded with a loud grunt but his hands didn’t loosen their grips.

  “That was a very stupid thing to do,” growled Orson as he shook her.

  I’ll show you stupid when I get free, thought Emma. She raised her arm and started to ram her elbow into Orson’s stomach again.

  “I don’t think so.” Orson shoved her into the side of the car.

  Pain ra
diated up and down Emma’s arm from her elbow. She blinked to clear her eyes of the tears. As much as she wanted to give into the pain, she knew she didn’t have the luxury to do so. She had to get away from Orson. Emma twisted and wiggled. She stomped his foot causing him to yelp and loosen his grip on her shoulder. Emma grabbed the hand covering her mouth. If she could get it off, she would be able to fight him with her magic.

  Orson growled and tightened his grip. He started speaking in a language she had never heard before.

  Panic seized Emma. She tried to twist and move her arms, but they and her legs were growing stiff and heavy. She doubled her effort to move them, but her limbs wouldn’t respond to her commands. Her heart raced as terror ripped through her. Emma’s vision slowly grew black around the edges. In seconds she could only see a small pinpoint of light and then it was gone. The last thing she heard was Orson’s laughter as the rest of her senses shut down along with her body.

  *****

  “I’m sorry I missed your call, but if you will leave your name, a message, and your phone number, I will return your call as soon as I can.”

  Wes growled when Emma’s cell phone went straight to voice mail for the fifth time in less than ten minutes. He tossed his phone onto the passenger seat and shifted his focus to the traffic surrounding him. The muscles in his jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth. Most days the traffic was light but today it seemed as if everyone was on the road. Wes squeezed the steering wheel a little harder than he meant to. He cursed when he heard the plastic snap.

  He let out a ragged breath that he didn’t realize he was holding. Wes was angry with himself for leaving Emma alone, especially after the incident with the Orson character. He knew better. He should have done something to ensure that Orson guy wouldn’t come back or at least stayed with her to make sure she was safe.

  We should have crushed him, growled his bear. The beast butted its head against Wes’s ribs. We should not have left our mate alone.

  You don’t have to remind me. Wes’s words sounded harsh to him even though he hadn’t actually said them. Guilt ate away at his soul.

  We need to find our mate.

  Wes didn’t bother to reply. He was in complete agreement with his bear about finding Emma and once he found her, he was never letting her out of his sight again. Orson was just one of the problems. The hunters had started showing up. Hell, he couldn’t forget about the one who kidnapped and almost killed his brother’s mate. Wes decided he was going to keep Emma safe even if he had to tie her to his bed.

  He turned off the main road. Two blocks later he parked the truck in front of Emma’s bookstore.

  He frowned as he stared at the front of the store.

  The lights inside the building were off and the closed sign was hanging on the hook on the front door.

  Wes glanced at the clock in his dash. It was two hours before the bookstore was supposed to close for the day.

  Jumping out of the truck, he jogged over to the door. He found it locked when he tried the door handle. Thinking that maybe she was inside, he knocked on the glass and waited.

  Emma didn’t come to the door.

  Wes turned and walked around the building. With each step both he and his bear become more anxious. As soon as he rounded the corner, Wes stopped dead in his tracks. The driver’s side door of Emma’s car was open. Her purse laid on the ground a few feet from the car.

  “Emma!” He raced to the car hoping to find his mate. Wes’s worst fears stared back at him when he found the car empty. He took a deep breath. A deep growl ripped from his throat. The lingering scent of Emma and her fear wrapped around his very soul.

  But there was another scent mixed with it. The greasy scent left him feeling as if someone had punched him in the stomach.

  Orson had been there.

  “Emma!” growled Wes.

  His bear rammed its head against his ribcage as it tried to burst forth from Wes’s body, but he fought the beast. It would be so much easier to give into the animal and the base instincts it felt, but Wes knew he had to stay human at least until he found Emma and made sure she was safe. Then he could give into his beast’s desires and let it out to make Orson pay for harming its mate.

  And Orson would pay with his life.

  Wes’s bear growled its agreement.

  Wes picked up Emma’s purse and closed the car door. Before he reached his truck, he heard his cell phone ringing. Opening the passenger door, Wes dropped the purse on the seat and grabbed his phone. “Hello.”

  “Wes, you need to get over to the Landslide Motel at the edge of town,” said Ivy.

  “Why?” asked Wes.

  “Ben and I are over here with Emma’s cousin. It seems she was planning another trap for you.”

  “I’ll be right there.” Wes slammed the passenger door and raced around the truck. “Don’t let her leave,” he said as he climbed in behind the steering wheel. Wes didn’t know how Ivy knew where to find April or how she knew April was attempting another trap. He really didn’t care to know. He just wanted Emma back

  “Don’t worry. She’s not going anywhere. Just hurry. We’re in room 125,” said Ivy.

  Wes broke a few speed limit laws, but he made it to the motel in less than five minutes. He parked next to Ben’s truck. The door to room 125 opened as he got out of the truck.

  “In here,” said Ben. He nodded his head toward the room.

  Wes nodded as he walked pass Ben. The curtains were drawn closed, but all the lamps in the room were on. Ivy sat in a chair facing April, Emma’s cousin, who was sitting on the corner of one of the two beds in the room.

  “I believe she has something she needs to tell you.” Emma didn’t look at Wes. She stared at the woman sitting in front of her.

  “I have nothing to say because I haven’t done anything.” April sniffed.

  A deep, deadly growl filled the room.

  April cringed at the sound. “Why are you doing this? I haven’t done anything.” Huge crocodile tears rolled down her cheeks.

  Wes ignored the tears. “Where did Orson Goodwin take Emma?” He had to find out where Orson had taken his mate.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She blinked several times before she looked away from him.

  Wes growled. “There’s one thing you should know about shifters.”

  “And what’s that?” asked April as she looked at him. “I know you turn into an animal and that shifters are enemies of witches.” She looked down her nose at him and then turned her attention to Ivy. “You’re a traitor to all witches.”

  “You should never get between a shifter and his mate.” Wes stepped closer to her, forcing her attention back on him. “We will do anything necessary to protect what is ours. We know when you’re lying.”

  April’s eyes grew wide. She tried scooting across the bed.

  “I wouldn’t do that. Orson kidnapped my mate. I and my bear want her back. We have no problem taking out anyone who stands between us and Emma.” Wes let his bear look through his eyes at Emma’s cousin. “You will tell me everything you know.”

  “I’m a witch and a female. You can’t harm me.” April crossed her arms over her chest. Wes wasn’t sure if it was a show of bravery or an act of defiance.

  “All I see is someone standing between me and my mate. And like you said, shifters and witches are enemies.” He threw her words back at her hoping it would have the desired effect on her. Wes knew he wouldn’t hurt her because she was a female, but she obviously wasn’t sure if he would or wouldn’t.

  April looked at Ivy. “Are you going to let him harm me? My family is an old and prominent family in the coven.”

  Ivy shrugged her shoulders. “You do realize there is not a coven anymore. I dissolved it. Besides, you said I was a traitor. If I’m a traitor, why would I even want to help you?”

  “You can’t dissolve the coven.”

  “But I did, and those who were in charge no longer have any powers.” Ivy shook her head. “Fudge
sticks! I wouldn’t be worrying about the coven being disbanded if I were you.”

  “And why is that?” asked April.

  “You’re standing between a shifter and his mate. Like Wes said, shifters will do anything they have to do to protect their mates.”

  “Really?” April’s hands dropped to her sides. She looked at Wes. “Why couldn’t I be your mate? Why can’t I be the one you protect? I’m not scarred or overweight.”

  “Because Emma is my heart’s mate.” He held up his wrist. “I carry her mark and she wears mine. I want her back. She is the only mate I will ever have or ever want.”

  April looked at the people in the room. She closed her eyes and sighed. “Mother sold Emma to Orson. She is to be his mistress until she is no longer useful to him.” She made a set of air quotes when she said mistress. “But mother doesn’t get the money until Emma is bound to Orson. And as soon as Emma is pregnant with Orson’s child, he will elevate our social standing and provide us with several business contacts. For some reason he wants Emma to give him an heir. It’s rather ridiculous. It’s not like she has any special powers to pass on.”

  Wes growled. He felt his bear’s anger as it surged forward. It matched his own, but he couldn’t give into the beast. Only the sheer force of his will kept the animal contained. “Emma is already bound to me.” His voice barely sounded human.

  April swallowed as she stared at Wes. “There’s a potion that mother knows how to make that will severe Emma’s ties to you and make it possible for Orson to bind Emma to him. The potion will also trap her inside her body. She will be aware of what is going on and what is happening to her, but she will be powerless to stop it.”

  “Sugar hockey sticks! That’s black magic! You and your aunt would do something like that to Emma? She’s your cousin.” Ivy stared at April. She grabbed Ben’s hand when he put it on her shoulder.

  April shrugged. “There’s nothing wrong with using black magic to get what you deserve. Mother and I deserve the social connections and money that will come from Emma being Orson’s mistress. After all we have done for her, she owes us. And when she dies, we will have access to all of her inheritance. The funny part is she doesn’t even know about the money her parents left her. Mother managed to keep it from her.”